Monday, September 21, 2009

There Is No Home Like The One You've Got, 'Cause That Home Belongs To You: Angels 5, Yankees 2

The Angels eventually hided Andy Pettite, one or two runs at a time over the course of the three runs the long-in-the-tooth Yankees starter gave up over six innings. The Angels cruised and never trailed, with Hokie Joe Saunders posting a phenomenal game, getting to within two outs of a complete game. Despite Brian Fuentes' best attempts to make it interesting (including a long fly ball to Nick Swisher that late innings sub Reggie Willits managed to incredibly catch at the bullpen wall), the Halos walked off with their 90th win of the season and quite a few games left to play.

The Angels' run scoring commenced with a pair of doubles in the first, thanks to a pair of doubles by Vlad and Torii Hunter. The Angels picked up another on a two-out Eric Aybar double in the fifth, which A-Rod answered two innings later with a solo blast. Once Pettitte left the game, Kendry Morales replaced Robb Quinlan at first, and ripped one into the right field seats off Brian Bruney. Matsui's eighth-inning pinch-hit homer — apparently the first of his career — was followed by yet another Angels run, as if to put a cork in the game before the ninth even started. A good game for a smile.